Presentations
10 | 11
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Over the course of the last financial year,
indeed, Fira de Barcelona hosted shows and
events of enormous international impact. These
included Alimentaria, which presented its most
international, innovative and gastronomic
edition, and the leading meeting for mobile
technology, the Mobile World Congress, which
beat all the records in terms of both numbers
and standing of participating companies and
visitors. The growing importance and reputation
of EIBTM as a leading world event in the tourist
business was also apparent in 2014.
Finally, we should also note the improved
results obtained by other shows organised
directly by Fira de Barcelona, such as
the Boat Show, Expoquimia, the Smart City
Expo World Congress, Hostelco, Tourism,
Bizbarcelona and MIHealth Forum.
Focus on organising events
Congresses and corporate events, particularly
those related to health and technology, played a
particularly decisive role in achieving the results
obtained in 2014. Such meetings helped greatly
to reinforce Barcelona’s standing as a major
trade fair and congress venue. A particularly
notable success was the Congress of the
European Society of Cardiology, organised
in the Catalan capital for the fourth time since
1992, whilst the World Cardiology Congress
also took place here in 2006.
The satisfactory results
obtained in 2014 were
achieved thanks to the
good position occupied
by the shows directly
organised by Fira de
Barcelona, the emphasis on
internationalisation, success
in attracting international
events and the diversification
of activities and services
In the field of technology, the corporate
meetings of such major companies as HP,
VMWare, SAP and Microsoft brought together
thousands of highly-qualified workers from
around the world.
We should also stress the fact that the
celebration here of major medical and
technological congresses is the result of a
strategic commitment and constant hard work
by Fira de Barcelona, aimed at attracting great
events, efforts that also enjoy the support of
the city of Barcelona and its institutions. Here
we should mention particularly the organisation
of important travelling shows and events such
as Passenger Terminal Expo, Seatrade Med,
ELA and EWEA, all leaders in their respective
economic and professional fields.
Over the course of the year that concerns us,
Fira de Barcelona also pursued intense activity
abroad, in consonance with the new dimension
taken on by international business, one of the
strategic pillars of our institution. This policy
includes the organisation of Fira de Barcelona
shows abroad and participation in trade fairs in
other countries, as well as organising events and
providing consultancy services to fair organisers
in cities around the world. On this point, I should
like to highlight particularly, as an example of
the good work in this field, the success of the
Smart City Expo World Congress, established
in Barcelona as an international reference in the
field of smart cities and now exported to several
other major cities. This provides practical proof
of the synergies generated between Fira de
Barcelona and the city itself.
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